We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic, personalize content, and serve targeted advertisements. Read about how we use cookies and how you can control them by clicking "Cookie Settings." If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies.

Privacy Preference Center

Acquia’s websites may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to enrich and personalize your user experience. Cookies help us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, and what content you view, so we can customize your experience with Acquia, including offering you more relevant content and advertising. You can also change your cookie preferences. Note, that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies:
These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our websites and to use some of its features (such as access to secure areas). Since these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the websites, you cannot refuse them without impacting your experience and how our websites function. You can block or delete them by changing your browser settings, as described under the heading "How can I control cookies?" in the Cookie Policy.

Non-Essential Website Cookies:
These cookies collect information that is used to help us understand how our websites are being used, how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our websites and applications to enhance your experience. You can click below to remove these cookies from your website experience. However, without these cookies, certain functionality may become unavailable or unusable.

Drupal Connections; How Drupal Brings People Together

I didn’t really understand it until I attended DrupalCon Vienna in 2017. To me, Drupal was a flexible open source framework that served as the foundation for some of the world’s largest websites. It was for developers to build stuff. I knew that the community that supports Drupal was important to keep it going but I didn’t know until I was in the middle of that community how much Drupal changed people’s lives.

Not only has Drupal given countless individuals a career and a place to belong, Drupal has literally brought people together. People have met best friends, mentors, business partners, and significant others from attending events and sprints, working on projects, etc. I remember that the first time I met Shannon Vettes was at DrupalCon, even though we worked for the same company and we hit it off talking through her presentation the next day. Now she’s more than a colleague, she’s my friend and I hope to visit her in Paris someday.

I put the word out that I was looking for stories and the community did not disappoint:

“There was a wedding at DrupalCon Chicago!” - George DeMet, Founder and CEO of Palantir‏ and @gdemet on Twitter

“I met my school friend after 10 years in a Drupal meet up. Gotta love it.” - @iamBalaji23 on Twitter

“I reconnected with two different peers from high school and college. We had similar Japanese studying experience. Then ran into each other at DrupalCons and had even further connections with more folks in the community.” - @mattkineme on Twitter

Here are few stories of how Drupal brought people together.

Phenaproxima and starshaped

I met Adam Honeich (phenaproxima) at work, since we both work at Acquia. Now that I think about it, the first time I met Aubrey Sambor (starshaped) was at DrupalCon Vienna too! As I was trying to think of what to write for a Valentine’s day type blog post, her story helped inspire me.

Adam met Aubrey in 2017 at Drupal sprint held over the weekend in Cambridge, MA. “They do this sprint annually, every January — it’s international (more or less), said Adam. Usually the bulk of the work is done on Saturday but it’s what it sounds like… Drupalists mingle and hack on Drupal things then everyone goes out for beer.”

Aubrey had been doing Drupal for about 8 years and wanted to learn more about contributing to open source. “I had just moved back to New England the previous year and wanted to get to know the Boston community. I didn’t actually talk to Adam at all during the sprint itself, but at the afterparty, we talked a little bit about front end development in Drupal. I wanted to talk to him more at the afterparty, but when everyone in the group we were talking to left, he bailed! He told me later that he felt awkward, but I just laugh about that now.

Adam has a similar recount of the night. “As she [Aubrey] will only too happily tell you, she tried to talk to me afterwards but I ran off ’cause I’m awkward.”

Luckily for Adam, Aubrey asked him out after a Drupal meetup a few months later and they’ve been together ever since.

rszrama and bojanz

Making friends as an adult can be tough for some people, myself included. But the friends you make as adult can feel more like family. Having a welcoming community like Drupal makes it that much easier to meet those people and form lifelong friendships.

When I asked Ryan Szrama (rszrama), CEO and President of The Commerce Guys and At-Large Director on the board of the Drupal Association about Drupal connections he’s made over the years, he remarked there have been numerous; “...folks we vacation with, make it a point to visit when nearby, etc. And like a hundred people who have helped me in small and large ways through the years.” But one of the connections that stood out most for Ryan was meeting Bojan Živanović (bojanz).

“In 2010 that included serving as a mentor in the Google Summer of Code program for a new contributor who wanted to work on Drupal Commerce’s affiliate module, bojanz.

Bojan Živanović and I got to know each other that summer through many IRC chats and coding sessions. After he completed his project successfully, we met at DrupalCon Copenhagen and celebrated at McDonald's. I sure knew how to treat a friend!”

Ryan quickly accomplished his goal of convincing Bojan to join Commerce Guys and both their friendship and contributions to Drupal have continued to grow since then. “I visit Belgrade once a year now; not strictly necessary for the business but just seemed like a great way to cement / grow the relationship. His mom always cooks a dinner for us when we arrive; have an ever expanding group of friends in and around Belgrade. It's been great.”

schnitzel and ruthief

Michael Schmid (schnitzel) is the CTO @amazeeio & @amazee. He shared the story of how he met Ruth Fuller (ruthief). It kind of sounds like something out an indie romance flick: two people meet and continue connect through various Drupal events, zigzagging across the globe until finally finding themselves in the same place.

“We met the first time in DrupalCon Portland 2013 (where Ruth lived at the time) and then again in DrupalCon Prague 2013. After DrupalCon Prague, she did some tourist and sightseeing in Europe, where she visited me in Zurich (where I lived at the time). By then, we were already very close. So I visited her in Portland after going to BadCamp 2013 in San Francisco. Where we fully got together and started a long distance relationship between Portland US and Zurich Switzerland.

In April 2016 we then moved together to Austin TX (where my company already had a company running) and have been together ever since.”

I know there are many more stories to tell about how Drupal was the catalyst for bringing people together and I’ll be back, in one form or another, to tell them. Until then, be good to each other, and Happy Valentine’s Day.

Reena Leone

Former Senior Manager, Content Marketing Acquia

Reena Leone had nearly 10 years of digital marketing experience, working for both digital agencies and global brands.

A self-described “writer, podcaster, cosplayer, and nerd,” she said her favorite aspect of working at Acquia was her collaboration with colleagues.

“When we say ‘#ilovemyteam,’ it's not a joke. This is the kind of place where you can be you; individuality is encouraged,” Leone said.

Since she started at Acquia, Leone had the opportunity to forge her own career path, she said.

“This flexibility has made me more capable of handling any challenge thrown my way, and allowed me to grow my skills as a writer, editor, and manager.”